Tons of malt, sweet toffee and dark fruits up front with just a touch of earthy bitterness. Lingering sweetness. Feels like a Double IPA without any thought and not enough hops. Full mouthfeel, semi-syrup like on the finish. Balance isn't there and it tastes tastes like homebrew. Bleh, glad I didnt bring this into my shop.

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With the delicate teeter that distinguishes dry and hoppy IPA versus the uptick in strength that would cause a 'drinking' beer to become a 'sipping' one, this is the line that Shipwrecked tries to straddle.

Starting with the common hazy honey-amber appearance, a frothy white head emerges to cap the beer with long-standing retention and intermittent lace. Handsome enough, the ale sells the Imperial appearance well but without becoming any kind of a standout.

Its powerful aromatics are a blend of high hops, balancing sweetness and a spicy tinge of alcohol. Its citrus focus is undeniable as notes of grapefruit come to mind. But then come waves of grass, caramel, liqueur, and pine.

To taste, its the caramel, honey and barley flavor create a bready type of sweetness that buffers the palate against the hop and alcohol onslaught to come. Its smooth balance is part creamy caramel and part citrus as the taste of ripe grapefruit, orange juices and tangy tropical flavor weaves into an even-keel middle palate. But thereafter, the sweetness dissolves and its bitterness grows- turning to citrus pith, then to grass and then arriving at pine sap-type of bitterness. Fleeting sweetness allows also for a rise of alcohol spice that pricks against the tongue like vodka.

Despite its balanced and succulent taste, the beer's body is lush with caramel and creaminess. But as its body slowly relaxes, it is shy in offering up the dryish tone that the style deserves. Bold from start to finish, the ale only finishes malty-dry and lingers into a separated boozy warmth.

Still, Mission's Shipwrecked is a formidable Imperial IPA that has a sweetish tone and prefers a less-than-dry finish. If you're looking to get into hops but have found standard American IPA's too lopsided, then this might be your segway beer.

Mission St.'s Shipwreck is a strange brew, and maybe conditioned by my surroundings, which include nuts and chips and a little of that grounded dust that they line shuffleboard tables with. But the aroma gives off a ground yellow corn scent, with a dusky earthiness, and a smooth cashew note, like cashew butter. The flavor expands on the nut/legume theme with tons of sweet peanuts in the flavor, and that burnt caramel note that comes out of the classic Bit-O-Honey, cloying and large. If you like your caramel burnt and blackened, there's a lot to like about this taste. But I prefer mine milder, which gives the Shipwreck an off-putting flavor.

Poured into an imperial nonic a slight hazed beep amber/bronze with a nice one finger sticky crown atop,big doughy,sweetish malt aromas,the hops take a backseat to the big malt,almost barleywine in style to me.Hefty sweetness on the palate,caramel and biscuit malt with some alcohol zip to lend more sweetness,the hops are subdued to me providing a little citric shot.Another sweet bomb of a DIPA,I would say this is even sweeter than most I have had.

Poured from a 22 oz into a Duvel tulip. Huge head that dissipated in about a minute, leaving behind a mess of semi-coarse lacing. Light spicy aroma with some tropical fruit. Thick body, very sweet, medium to high carbonation.

And here's the kicker: the flavor is all about rich sweetness, fruit and phenols. This is a tripel, no doubt about it. Sure, it has masses of hops, more of them and of the wrong type than is typical for the style, but it is definitely a Belgian Tripel + American IPA hybrid. I'm not even sure why it is called a Double IPA - maybe to get more sales? It is to the beer's detriment, as the phrase "Double IPA" is leading people to make assumptions and comparisons that are inappropriate.

When judged as a DIPA, it is so-so. It is too sweet, too fruity, too phenolic. As a tripel, it is one of the best American tripels I've had, and the addition of massive American hops really works. I like it.

Amber reddish hue with a light wisp of white head. Great clarity. Pine like hop aroma is fairly prevalent along with a bit of a citrus aroma. The taste is a blend of pine and citrus hops. There's primarily a citrus hop flavor in the fade. Mouth is thick and sticky which is true to style.

L: Amber, very slight haze. 1” fluffy foam head, slight orange tint, foam has fairly small bubbles. Thick ledges of lace cling to the glass.
S: fresh, spicy, floral, herbal, light fruit
T: Starts with light caramel and biscuit supporting fruity, citrusy yeast and hop flavors. The hops are big but are as much about flavor as bitterness.
F: Creamy, very soft in the mouth, medium body, medium carbonation.
O: A nice big beer that you can drink instead of a bourbon or a gin and tonic.